lead me to the rock that is higher than i

Beta 5

[03/17/16] Beta 5. Creampuffs. These two words go perfectly together don’t they? Having heard of Beta 5 for as long as I remembered, Tray & I anticipated our very first visit during our spring break this year.

The Place

Beta 5 is located in the industrial area of Strathacona near the Main skytrain station. Since it’s in a warehouse setting without any dining area, it’s more for just pickup orders.

When you walk in, there is open space with some of their products along the side of the venue as well as on a large table. You can see the kitchen in action through the large window in the back.

The Food

Tray and I took our order out to Science World to enjoy in the sun.

Mango Tea Ice Cream Sandwich ($5)

mango ice cream on a black tea sugar cookie

We tried out their ice cream sandwich because it was a seasonal item, and the flavour they had in their “Island in the Sun” Winter Collection was their mango tea. I’m gonna be straight up and say that this didn’t taste good at all. The sugar cookie was overly sweet and crumbly, cracking with every bite, which didn’t hold in the icecream very well. The mango icecream had a weird consistency that was neither creamy nor smooth.. and the fruit flavour was very synthetic. I would not recommend this. (1/5)

Luckily, the cream puffs lived up to our expectations. We bought a box of4 for $18. They have their signature collection, as well as some seasonal flavours. We decided to get 2 of each.

Each creampuff was detailedly crafted, with intricate layers of different flavours and garnishes on top. Overall, they were all very delicious and even after trying 4 different flavours, I was not sick of them. The puff was a little different than the traditional choux pastry, which is light and airy. Instead, it was crispy and thicker, to hold up the extra fillings in Beta 5’s unique flavours.

Raspberry Earl Grey

raspberry mousse | earl grey custard | vanilla chantilly

The earl grey custard is concentrated in the centre of the creampuff, surrounded by the vanilla cream, while the raspberry mousse is at the bottom. I love the tangy contrast of the raspberry with the aromatic earl grey. However pretty, I thought the candy and frosting on top was too sweet, and unnecessary in terms of the flavour. (4.5/5)

Blueberry Yuzu

blueberry compote | yuzu curd | italian meringue | bluerberry jellies
This was delicious as well! The yuzu curd tasted no different than the typical lemon curd, and along with the meringue, this reminded me of lemon meringue pie. The blueberry added the sweetness that was lacking from the citrus. (4/5)

Mojito

mint-infused lime curd / rum baba / vanilla chantilly

This is the first of the two from the seasonal collection that we tried. There is a dense piece of spongecake in the middle that holds up the vanilla cream, topped with bits of lime zest. I’m gonna be honest.. I never had mojito before, but this is definitely a very sweet twist from the original if I were to imagine. (4/5)

Instead of the flavours of cream being layered, in here, they are piped on opposite sides. The passionfruit curd was surprisingly authentic, and the other side was the sesame cream. The two flavours went perfectly together- the tangy, sour, exotic fruit with the rich, slightly bitter sesame. Unlike the other toppings, the piece of chocolate on this creampuff was delicious with the nutty sesame aroma, as expected from a chocolatier. This was definitely my favourite out of everything I tried. (5/5)

Final Thought

Even though my experience started poorly with the ice cream sandwich, the creampuffs were delicious and some of the best I’ve had yet. With that said, I think their signature chocolate and creampuffs are worth a visit for sure.

School started again.. with finals and provincials coming up, I’ll try my best to upload as frequently as possible. However.. I do have good news to share! Of the 3 universities I applied to (University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and University of Alberta), I got in all 3! I’ll most likely write a post about university and my future plans once everything is finalized in the summer. (: Best of luck to everyone else in school.. keep it up during the last few months!